Terrance, I totally disagree with you. Owning 7 Les Paul's ranging from 1969 to 2013, including 2 custom shop VOS (ES 1275 and R60), I have two 1976 LP Deluxes and find them to be the smoothest playing (slim taper neck) and sturdiest builds out of all my LP's. They have a two piece mahogany body, a 3 piece CARVED maple top and a three piece maple neck with volute, & sound incredible. The mini-humbuckers don't have the low end of a PAF, but the sweetness and sustain is incredible.
I am now in my 53rd year as a player...Sold these in the early-to-mid seventies, and recently had the opportunity to work on one from this era. Was AMAZED at how much punch and bite the thing had, through just a Fender Blues Deluxe. Sounded so good, I had to just put it in the case and leave it there, since it wasn't mine! Beauty is in the ear of the beholder, and different guitars are required for different sounds...that's why Tom Petty and Mike Campbell have a warehouse full of them. While I understand George's appraisal of the soft metal bridges on the old guitars, my brother-in-law replaced the Tunatomic and stop tailpiece on his sandwich LPaul with a Callaham rig, and I guarantee you THE SOUND JUMPED OFF OF THAT GUITAR like I have never heard before. We can't all afford an original 1959 Les Paul, so short of that, these guitars at a reasonable price, are pretty darn good sounding, especially if you come from the Fender side of town and want to keep some brightness. Personally, I'd love to have this guitar, or one like it. Good enough for Pete Townshend, what? Just my opinion, of course! Thanks for reading.
The first Les Paul I ever played was a 70's Les Paul Custom/Black beauty and it played better than any guitar I ever played before it. It was at that point that I knew I wanted a Les Paul and years later when I was able to afford one I bought one and many other Les Pauls followed as well as numerous other Gibson.
I had a Gold Top Deluxe bought new in May, 1970, so it could have been a '69 or '70. All I can say is it was a great playing and sounding guitar and I never should have sold it. These are way underrated as a players instrument. It took me years to find another Les Paul I liked as much and I've had a few. You can find the Deluxe models for often under $2,000 on a private sale, and they are worth it. I have some recordings with this guitar from a session with very well known musicians and when people here the guitar sound they always say, "Wow, nice Les Paul sound. That's an old one, right?" Yeah, it was kind of old, but not spectacularly so. My advice to those who consider one of these? Do it, especially if it's in good shape and under two grand. You won't be sorry. The early years of the model ('69 - '71) seem to be the best and they are very good. Oddly enough, the LP I found finally that I liked was an '82 with Tim Shaw humbuckers. Outstanding, and a good value. If you can't afford the huge money for really vintage LP's, there are other good ones out there, really great ones actually. What's most important is how YOU like it, and nothing else. Keep looking and don't settle!
I put a Lollar bridge pickup in mine, as recommended by 30th St Guitars in NY - a huge improvement. The original always sounded brittle and harsh. Kept the neck one stock, as that has a warm feel. The guitar is early 70s, and to me has the best playing neck of any Les Paul I've ever tried, regardless of price. I'll never part with it.
+Paul Hindle Thanks very much for Watching & for Your Comment! When 30th St did your pickup install, did they suggest any other boutique pickups for it? Just curious as the Lollar sounds like it's their "go to" mod pickup for this particular LP model.
Well, they talked me out of getting it routed for humbuckers, which is what I was originally toying with. They recommended replacing the pickup instead, and suggested (only) the Lollar - I think 30th St Guitars have a relationship with them. Still had to buy it online - the store just did the install. I did a bit of online research comparing it vs Seth Lover / Seymour Duncan. I didn't want a 'hot' one though, just a warm natural sound, and I'm very happy with it. 30th St also fitted an RS Vintage wiring loom, so now I have volume and tone controls that provide a greater range than on/off.
+Paul Hindle Paul, thanks very much for posting this additional info for those who may want to do the same mod! Sounds like you made all the right choices & now have a "keeper" & a "player" for a LONG time to come! Thanks for Watching & Stay Tuned for More NEW Gruhn in Season #3 in 2016! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
If you've listened to Atlanta Rhythm Section (Barry Bailey), BOC (Buck Dharma), Thin Lizzie (Scott Gorham) or The Who (Pete Townsend) in the 70's the guitar sounds you're hearing are all achieved using a Les Paul Deluxe model from the Norlin era. Listen to "So Into You" or "Spooky" from ARS, "Godzilla" and "Burnin' for You" by BOC, "The Rocker" or "Cowboy Song" from TL or Any Who Live recording from 1971 to present and you'll get a pretty good idea of the wide range of tonal qualities these instruments are capable of producing. Almost without exception you will find that the people who slag these guitars 1) Have a personal vendetta against Gibson, 2) Have never played one 3) Simply can't play guitar. Cheers.
Baal-Zephon Love LP deluxes... an overlooked classic indeed. My fav Les Paul. But just to be a total pedant (apologies)... 'The Rocker', I believe was played on a stratocaster (Eric Bell)... mind you, he also played an sg...
Troy Kebab Great point, TK, thanks for the clarification. I left out Gary Rossington as a Deluxe player. He used it for most of his playing on "Pronounced" and earlier on the Muscle Shoals sessions.
Baal-Zephon Well done for name-checking the great Buck Dharma. I'll add Johnny Fean (Horslips) to your list of LP deluxe players too... not too many people - outside of Horslips fans are aware of his playing. Check out 'The Tain' (album) for some tasty LP deluxe licks!
All of Townsend's numbered guitars were Norlin Deluxes. Evrey band you saw in concert during the 70s-80s was using Norlin guitars rather than dragging $$$$ 50s-60s models around. I have a Goldtop and it is the bomb. As was mentioned, serial numbers were screwed back then so, I have no idea what year mine was made. This is a non topic and people will hate these guitars, sight unseen, until they own one.
You were spot on, Baal. Vintage Guitar Magazine had basically the tale of 2 Gold Top Deluxes recently, one road worn by Barry Baily and the other near mint owned by Jeff Carlisi of 38 Special, used on classics like Rockin' Into The Night and Fantasy Girl..
Sound is subjective and depends on so many things, player, strings, setup, amp, room, cords, effects, etc etc etc. my favorite guitarist was Steve Jones, he mainly used a 1974 LP Custom. Pete Townshend played (modified) 70s deluxes. People just get caught up in the mythology of 50s LPs. It’s just like Stradivarius violins. There have been blind and scientific tests that show they don’t sound any better than a modern well made violin but people still swear there’s something magical about a Stradivarius.
Not an uplifting vid by any stretch but but Gruhn was the first guy i saw in GP that gave the RareBird guit status from used to vintage. Old stuff was better. Deluxes were cool, too. A guy i knew had one from '75 then that was actually a 2nd. Almost had to have a magnifying glass to find the finish imperfection. Killer in every way,,,look, tone and feel.
I'm glad I saw this video. I saw the video on the 1960 Les Paul (in amazing shape) and he said $150k. I thought that was crazy (I would have guessed $30-$50k) and wondered if all his pricing was crazy high. But this one at $2250 seems right in the ballpark for what I see for LP Deluxe at my local vintage shop.
George's man Greg did a setup and fret job on my 73 Lester a few years ago everyone who plays it says it's the easiest playing guitar they ever played even bar cords with 10 strings ,
Thee sound of a guitar is a personal preference thing , I have a 74 Burgundy Deluxe that had an early Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge with a coil tap (mini DPDT on/on toggle) and an unknown Seymour Duncan in the neck position...I replaced all the pickups and pots with Pearly Gates pickups and the " Jimmy Page 21 tone wiring with the 50's tone mod" best sounding most versatile LP i've ever played..It is heavy though !! Shield your LP well if you plan on doing the JP mod, that many wires is a noisy nightmare waiting to happen !
I have the same Guitar that I thought was the best sounding guitar I ever played. I picked it up at a pawn shop and couldn’t figure out the year. After a while I quit trying. There’s no way I would sell it for $2500. That’s a great price on that guitar.
There has been much criticism heaped on Gibson for the production runs during the Norlin years. Much of it is unfounded. Many players have held onto their mid-70's Gibson's for the past 38 + years because they were well-made guitars. Jim Deurloo & the crew up in Kalamazoo were doing something right during the bicentennial year, for sure. Every production runs will include some dogs, but don't slag all 70's guitars as junk. My 76's have genuine MOP inlays, as opposed to the acrylic used now.
Christopher, Gibson made a few of the Deluxes fitted with full-sized humbuckers at the factory. Yours is most likely a special order made in Kalamazoo factory. Your can tell this by the bridge--If it has an original ABR-1 then it was made in Kalamazoo. If it has the stouter "Nashville Bridge" (ABR-2) then it was one of the first LP's manufactured in the new Nashville TN facility. Gibson was transitioning production of solid body guitars from Kalamazoo to Nashville during the latter part of 1974. Enjoy that LP!
All LP's at that time had a layer of Maple sandwiched between two mahogany layers (plus a maple top) it actually made the body more stable for temperature change and stopped cracking to the mahogany that happened to earlier ones, especially when people flew. These also have the Volute join to the head which makes it a lot stronger as well. Gibson's are notorious for a weakness there but if watch Pete Townsend in the 70's his necks snap around the seventh fret but the head doesn't break off at the transition (and he of course was trying to break them) It's actually a better designed guitar than the modern lets go back to the 50's Les Pauls.
Some of the greatest music in rock n roll history were played with Norlin era Gibson guitars. I disagree that they don’t sound as good as older Gibsons from the 50s.
I can hardly watch this as my early 70's LP Deluxe was stolen. Sunburst with those plastic surrounds around the PUs. Serial 623019 if anyone can date it.
matty8371 Hello sir, thanks for watching and George is a real stickler for "year detail" like this and it was an honest mistake. Correction accepted and again, thanks for watching George's Show. Stay Tuned for Season #3! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
+matty8371 I agree,I own a 68 Goldtop with the smaller headstock and the wider cutaway binding to cover the maple cap. It also has the "flower pot" pearl headstock inlay instead of the "Les Paul"name making it one of the very first run
+matty8371 I'm sure, nonetheless, That he can still remember all sorts of very subtle, intricate details when it comes to all vintage guitars..I was just taken back for a min. when he made the honest mistake, but clearly a mistake that can be caught by amatuers like myself, so all's well my friends...
+matty8731 Thanks for your understanding as George's knowledge of vintage guitars is uncanny & unparalleled - and, yet, as we all are.....we're human & make mistakes. There have been only been ONE or TWO examples in our ***entire*** series with George - so, cut him some slack, everyone....ok? Finally, we VERY much care what our viewers think & your comments/opinions matter to us! Thanks very much for watching, please make sure to Subscribe if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Actually, in this case, George is correct. The actual Les Paul DELUXE model with mini-humbucking pickups was not introduced until 1969. The Les Paul goldtop model of 1968 had two P90 pickups. He says in the video that the minis were used starting with the Deluxe in '69, which is true.
I can tell you how much it's worth seven years from this video being made - less than that ridiculous price Mr Gruhn has put on it. Red Wine for 2k, even today that's high.
I like looking at the guitars George has but how many times does he need to tell us that prices fluctuate? Every video it seems like he goes on a tangent about how prices go up and down etc.
Usually the pickups are some of the final components to be installed. So the the neck of the guitar the body could have been worked on prior to the pickup manufacture. The idea the guitar cannot be older than the pickups is a logical error.
If you think about it for a moment. You will see how a guitar can be made prior to a tone pot. You're right I said pickup instead of pot. Couldn't a guitar be older than the part? What if the neck and body were made in one year, and sat around before the tone pots were added.?
Technically you're right. I'm talking about using pot dates to look for either a replacement lot or if someone is trying to fake a vintage correct guitar. Example - I own a 1962 Fender Stratocaster with pots dated from the 12th & 22nd week. If it's pot date was 1961, l wouldn't be that concerned. But if the pots said 1963 that would be a problem. Your pots should be older than /or the same date as said year the guitar was manufactured. if the pots are newer something fishy is most likely going on. Pots are made in huge batches, so it's not like when you receive them there only a day old, they'll be dated weeks, if not months behind the date you ordered them. Once you receive the pots and start using them They are a month or so older than the guitar they're going into that day. Obviously there can be oddball exceptions, then you need to see if the solder joints are untouched etc. etc.
Let’s compare every Les Paul made in any other year than 1958-1960 to a 1958-60 LP...They are $250,000 guitars...all the rest are not. My 73 Dlx LP is as good as any LP ever made...
George is great-very knowledgeable,etc.-and I believe a fair and equitable dealer.In fact when a luthier/collector buddy of mine was going through a divorce his b!tch/wife sent a video of his 90-some guitar collection to Gruhn's for the pirpose of an appraisal,so she would know how much to clean my preind out for.To George's credit he sent a reply stating that he didn't evaluate collections for THAT purpose. Wish I could hook a vari-speed up to his narrative on this video however...talks slow..
I was a Gibson Dealer in Chicago back in the 70's. In fact our Store was Strings & Things Music in Lincolnwood Ill. a half a block from the Norlin HQ and Shure Brothers offices about a block away. I was selling these when the factory opened up in Nashville. At the time I owned a 1957 Goldtop dark mahogany back and have handled numerous REAL 54-61 Les Pauls and Gibson Mastertone Banjos.The "New Gibson Company" guitars are not even the same. The kids like them though.The 70's Gibsons are junk.
I had to sell that junk all through 70's when I went to Chicago to work in Guitar and Sound Gear Shops. I could see Norlin Headquarters out of the back door of Shop and look to the left theres Shure Brothers Headquarters. All of these Corporate Douchebags from both places were always secretly buying Peavey Gear from us so we always ordered odd numbers of PA Speakers. These Guys were so out of touch with the exploding Rock & Roll Music scene. 70's and 80's solid body Gibsons?? Well.........
This guy doesn't like 70's Deluxes as is evident from his presentation. Next time get someone who like to play tell us what they think. Many of these a real under-priced gems. Lest people simple deride the Norlin era guitars - much of the classic rock we use a reference today was played on Norlins. Playing a vintage LP didn't become really fashionable until recently and buying a used LP was what you did in the 70's when you couldn't afford a new one.
You can't polish a turd. These Guitars were junk then and nothing has changed except the idiots that think they are cool because they are old now. This whole video can be avoided. A new Chinese Epiphone LP is a way better looking and sounding. Crappy green wood laminated together make up this heavy guitar. Aged dried old wood makes sustain. This crappy guitar does not even have a carved top. When I sold these back in the early 70's I couldn't believe Gibson's could get any worse but they did.
Terrance, I totally disagree with you. Owning 7 Les Paul's ranging from 1969 to 2013, including 2 custom shop VOS (ES 1275 and R60), I have two 1976 LP Deluxes and find them to be the smoothest playing (slim taper neck) and sturdiest builds out of all my LP's. They have a two piece mahogany body, a 3 piece CARVED maple top and a three piece maple neck with volute, & sound incredible. The mini-humbuckers don't have the low end of a PAF, but the sweetness and sustain is incredible.
I agree with you, it’s one of the best playing guitars I’ve ever owned,
How do these 70s compare to the custom
Shops? I’m trying to decide between a CS and a vintage LP.
I am now in my 53rd year as a player...Sold these in the early-to-mid seventies, and recently had the opportunity to work on one from this era. Was AMAZED at how much punch and bite the thing had, through just a Fender Blues Deluxe. Sounded so good, I had to just put it in the case and leave it there, since it wasn't mine! Beauty is in the ear of the beholder, and different guitars are required for different sounds...that's why Tom Petty and Mike Campbell have a warehouse full of them. While I understand George's appraisal of the soft metal bridges on the old guitars, my brother-in-law replaced the Tunatomic and stop tailpiece on his sandwich LPaul with a Callaham rig, and I guarantee you THE SOUND JUMPED OFF OF THAT GUITAR like I have never heard before. We can't all afford an original 1959 Les Paul, so short of that, these guitars at a reasonable price, are pretty darn good sounding, especially if you come from the Fender side of town and want to keep some brightness. Personally, I'd love to have this guitar, or one like it. Good enough for Pete Townshend, what? Just my opinion, of course! Thanks for reading.
1:39 : George looks to his right and the ad appears.. magic.
The 70’s LP are a TONE machines and a treasure
Owning *one* doesn't mean you can comment on every 70s Les Paul. There were good ones and bad ones. Just like the 'Bursts.
The first Les Paul I ever played was a 70's Les Paul Custom/Black beauty and it played better than any guitar I ever played before it. It was at that point that I knew I wanted a Les Paul and years later when I was able to afford one I bought one and many other Les Pauls followed as well as numerous other Gibson.
I had a Gold Top Deluxe bought new in May, 1970, so it could have been a '69 or
'70. All I can say is it was a great playing and sounding guitar and I never should
have sold it. These are way underrated as a players instrument. It took me years to
find another Les Paul I liked as much and I've had a few. You can find the Deluxe
models for often under $2,000 on a private sale, and they are worth it. I have some
recordings with this guitar from a session with very well known musicians and when
people here the guitar sound they always say, "Wow, nice Les Paul sound. That's
an old one, right?" Yeah, it was kind of old, but not spectacularly so. My advice
to those who consider one of these? Do it, especially if it's in good shape and
under two grand. You won't be sorry. The early years of the model ('69 - '71) seem
to be the best and they are very good. Oddly enough, the LP I found finally that
I liked was an '82 with Tim Shaw humbuckers. Outstanding, and a good value. If
you can't afford the huge money for really vintage LP's, there are other good ones
out there, really great ones actually. What's most important is how YOU like it,
and nothing else. Keep looking and don't settle!
+larry geetar Mini buckers are excellent pickups done by Seth Lover
I put a Lollar bridge pickup in mine, as recommended by 30th St Guitars in NY - a huge improvement. The original always sounded brittle and harsh. Kept the neck one stock, as that has a warm feel. The guitar is early 70s, and to me has the best playing neck of any Les Paul I've ever tried, regardless of price. I'll never part with it.
+Paul Hindle Thanks very much for Watching & for Your Comment! When 30th St did your pickup install, did they suggest any other boutique pickups for it? Just curious as the Lollar sounds like it's their "go to" mod pickup for this particular LP model.
Well, they talked me out of getting it routed for humbuckers, which is what I was originally toying with. They recommended replacing the pickup instead, and suggested (only) the Lollar - I think 30th St Guitars have a relationship with them. Still had to buy it online - the store just did the install. I did a bit of online research comparing it vs Seth Lover / Seymour Duncan. I didn't want a 'hot' one though, just a warm natural sound, and I'm very happy with it. 30th St also fitted an RS Vintage wiring loom, so now I have volume and tone controls that provide a greater range than on/off.
+Paul Hindle Paul, thanks very much for posting this additional info for those who may want to do the same mod! Sounds like you made all the right choices & now have a "keeper" & a "player" for a LONG time to come! Thanks for Watching & Stay Tuned for More NEW Gruhn in Season #3 in 2016! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
If you've listened to Atlanta Rhythm Section (Barry Bailey), BOC (Buck Dharma), Thin Lizzie (Scott Gorham) or The Who (Pete Townsend) in the 70's the guitar sounds you're hearing are all achieved using a Les Paul Deluxe model from the Norlin era. Listen to "So Into You" or "Spooky" from ARS, "Godzilla" and "Burnin' for You" by BOC, "The Rocker" or "Cowboy Song" from TL or Any Who Live recording from 1971 to present and you'll get a pretty good idea of the wide range of tonal qualities these instruments are capable of producing. Almost without exception you will find that the people who slag these guitars 1) Have a personal vendetta against Gibson, 2) Have never played one 3) Simply can't play guitar. Cheers.
Baal-Zephon Love LP deluxes... an overlooked classic indeed. My fav Les Paul. But just to be a total pedant (apologies)... 'The Rocker', I believe was played on a stratocaster (Eric Bell)... mind you, he also played an sg...
Troy Kebab Great point, TK, thanks for the clarification. I left out Gary Rossington as a Deluxe player. He used it for most of his playing on "Pronounced" and earlier on the Muscle Shoals sessions.
Baal-Zephon Well done for name-checking the great Buck Dharma. I'll add Johnny Fean (Horslips) to your list of LP deluxe players too... not too many people - outside of Horslips fans are aware of his playing. Check out 'The Tain' (album) for some tasty LP deluxe licks!
All of Townsend's numbered guitars were Norlin Deluxes. Evrey band you saw in concert during the 70s-80s was using Norlin guitars rather than dragging $$$$ 50s-60s models around. I have a Goldtop and it is the bomb. As was mentioned, serial numbers were screwed back then so, I have no idea what year mine was made.
This is a non topic and people will hate these guitars, sight unseen, until they own one.
You were spot on, Baal. Vintage Guitar Magazine had basically the tale of 2 Gold Top Deluxes recently, one road worn by Barry Baily and the other near mint owned by Jeff Carlisi of 38 Special, used on classics like Rockin' Into The Night and Fantasy Girl..
Thanks Love your videos Mr. Gruhn
A real master!!! Thanks Mr. Gruhn
Some of those early 70's sound better than the older Gibson. Just saying😊
Sound is subjective and depends on so many things, player, strings, setup, amp, room, cords, effects, etc etc etc. my favorite guitarist was Steve Jones, he mainly used a 1974 LP Custom. Pete Townshend played (modified) 70s deluxes. People just get caught up in the mythology of 50s LPs. It’s just like Stradivarius violins. There have been blind and scientific tests that show they don’t sound any better than a modern well made violin but people still swear there’s something magical about a Stradivarius.
They weigh twice as much too.
Thank you.
Not an uplifting vid by any stretch but but Gruhn was the first guy i saw in GP that gave the RareBird guit status from used to vintage. Old stuff was better. Deluxes were cool, too. A guy i knew had one from '75 then that was actually a 2nd. Almost had to have a magnifying glass to find the finish imperfection. Killer in every way,,,look, tone and feel.
I'm glad I saw this video. I saw the video on the 1960 Les Paul (in amazing shape) and he said $150k. I thought that was crazy (I would have guessed $30-$50k) and wondered if all his pricing was crazy high. But this one at $2250 seems right in the ballpark for what I see for LP Deluxe at my local vintage shop.
YES!! MORE GRUHN!
i have a 76 wine red.Great guitar.Its a blues machine.Deluxe is a les paul for strat and tele players
I have a 78 Wine Red Deluxe.
i currently have a 73 gold top deluxe, and a 75 natural deluxe. i just love them.
George's man Greg did a setup and fret job on my 73 Lester a few years ago everyone who plays it says it's the easiest playing guitar they ever played even bar cords with 10 strings ,
Thee sound of a guitar is a personal preference thing , I have a 74 Burgundy Deluxe that had an early Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge with a coil tap (mini DPDT on/on toggle) and an unknown Seymour Duncan in the neck position...I replaced all the pickups and pots with Pearly Gates pickups and the " Jimmy Page 21 tone wiring with the 50's tone mod" best sounding most versatile LP i've ever played..It is heavy though !! Shield your LP well if you plan on doing the JP mod, that many wires is a noisy nightmare waiting to happen !
I have the same Guitar that I thought was the best sounding guitar I ever played. I picked it up at a pawn shop and couldn’t figure out the year. After a while I quit trying. There’s no way I would sell it for $2500. That’s a great price on that guitar.
I love the Deluxe gibson les paul
I really like mini humbuckers and that is a beautiful guitar.
en cualquier momento se apaga el viejo!!! arriba!!!!
Wait are firebird pickups not mini humbuckers??
There has been much criticism heaped on Gibson for the production runs during the Norlin years. Much of it is unfounded. Many players have held onto their mid-70's Gibson's for the past 38 + years because they were well-made guitars. Jim Deurloo & the crew up in Kalamazoo were doing something right during the bicentennial year, for sure. Every production runs will include some dogs, but don't slag all 70's guitars as junk. My 76's have genuine MOP inlays, as opposed to the acrylic used now.
I have a 1975 Deluxe BUT with full sized factoy pickups fitted, What's that about?
Christopher, Gibson made a few of the Deluxes fitted with full-sized humbuckers at the factory. Yours is most likely a special order made in
Kalamazoo factory. Your can tell this by the bridge--If it has an original ABR-1 then it was made in Kalamazoo. If it has the stouter "Nashville
Bridge" (ABR-2) then it was one of the first LP's manufactured in the new Nashville TN facility. Gibson was transitioning production of solid body guitars
from Kalamazoo to Nashville during the latter part of 1974. Enjoy that LP!
Could be a special order from the factory, more likely someone's routed out the guitar to make space for full-sized humbuckers.
I love the red one
u yeah. i love my deluxe.
Expected the shot at 2:39 to be Gruhn opening the door and chucking the guitar into a garbage truck.
I reject the claim that all Gibson electrics from the 70s are crap, there are plenty of examples that refute this ... sorry!
I think they were very heavy because of the several mahogany, or maple, layers construction. Wasn't the Deluxe named the "sandwich body" Les Paul...?
All LP's at that time had a layer of Maple sandwiched between two mahogany layers (plus a maple top) it actually made the body more stable for temperature change and stopped cracking to the mahogany that happened to earlier ones, especially when people flew. These also have the Volute join to the head which makes it a lot stronger as well. Gibson's are notorious for a weakness there but if watch Pete Townsend in the 70's his necks snap around the seventh fret but the head doesn't break off at the transition (and he of course was trying to break them) It's actually a better designed guitar than the modern lets go back to the 50's Les Pauls.
You handle my collectable with all that bling on your fingers - you'll hear about it from me - not in a nice way either!
Well, it's not a 1972 as it would have embossed pup covers.
Yep, I had a 72 blk beauty w the embossed pups.
Pre-75 as has mahogany neck still. But given its weight, i'd say it's '75, they seemed to get heavier as the decade went on.
Good price, but 12lbs is silly heavy
Keep your drilled one; the rest of us like Norlins. :)
the rest of whom?
@@LfunkeyA me
Yeah well they'er still better than any guitar fender ever produced.
Why, specifically?
Some facts you stated are incorrect. Finish Specifications: All Les Paul Deluxes from before 1971 came standard with a gold finish.
I saw an original add for the Deluxe. It was natural. Like Joan Jetts
Some of the greatest music in rock n roll history were played with Norlin era Gibson guitars. I disagree that they don’t sound as good as older Gibsons from the 50s.
i would literally kill a man for that guitar. LITERALLY
I can hardly watch this as my early 70's LP Deluxe was stolen. Sunburst with those plastic surrounds around the PUs. Serial 623019 if anyone can date it.
i recommend anyone who watches this sets the speed to 1.75. gramps taking his sweet time
He said the Les Paul was reintroduced in 1969....Uh, wrong my man....1968 is the year...You're memory is a fading I'm afraid....
matty8371 Hello sir, thanks for watching and George is a real stickler for "year detail" like this and it was an honest mistake. Correction accepted and again, thanks for watching George's Show. Stay Tuned for Season #3! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
+matty8371 I agree,I own a 68 Goldtop with the smaller headstock and the wider cutaway binding to cover the maple cap. It also has the "flower pot" pearl headstock inlay instead of the "Les Paul"name making it one of the very first run
+matty8371 I'm sure, nonetheless, That he can still remember all sorts of very subtle, intricate details when it comes to all vintage guitars..I was just taken back for a min. when he made the honest mistake, but clearly a mistake that can be caught by amatuers like myself, so all's well my friends...
+matty8731 Thanks for your understanding as George's knowledge of vintage guitars is uncanny & unparalleled - and, yet, as we all are.....we're human & make mistakes. There have been only been ONE or TWO examples in our ***entire*** series with George - so, cut him some slack, everyone....ok? Finally, we VERY much care what our viewers think & your comments/opinions matter to us! Thanks very much for watching, please make sure to Subscribe if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Actually, in this case, George is correct. The actual Les Paul DELUXE model with mini-humbucking pickups was not introduced until 1969. The Les Paul goldtop model of 1968 had two P90 pickups. He says in the video that the minis were used starting with the Deluxe in '69, which is true.
Girl in the red dress!
He doesn't like this guitar....Doesn't like it and doesn't like telling you about it !.....Truth !
I can tell you how much it's worth seven years from this video being made - less than that ridiculous price Mr Gruhn has put on it. Red Wine for 2k, even today that's high.
Especially after he beat it up all over with all that costume jewelry. 🎸😎
I guess he charges extra for the relic job he did with those rings.🤑🥃😷
It's 2022 now and these are $5-10k lmao
Learned nothing about how these guitars sound from this video. Didn't come here to hear about why I can't be told what it will be worth in ten years.
Weight/density=sustain is not an idea of 'some musicians' but rather of certain Lester Paulfus.
I like looking at the guitars George has but how many times does he need to tell us that prices fluctuate? Every video it seems like he goes on a tangent about how prices go up and down etc.
Usually the pickups are some of the final components to be installed. So the the neck of the guitar the body could have been worked on prior to the pickup manufacture. The idea the guitar cannot be older than the pickups is a logical error.
He said pots. Not pickups. It’s a fact a guitar can’t be older than the pot date if the pot is original to the guitar.
If you think about it for a moment. You will see how a guitar can be made prior to a tone pot. You're right I said pickup instead of pot. Couldn't a guitar be older than the part? What if the neck and body were made in one year, and sat around before the tone pots were added.?
Technically you're right. I'm talking about using pot dates to look for either a replacement lot or if someone is trying to fake a vintage correct guitar. Example - I own a 1962 Fender Stratocaster with pots dated from the 12th & 22nd week. If it's pot date was 1961, l wouldn't be that concerned. But if the pots said 1963 that would be a problem. Your pots should be older than /or the same date as said year the guitar was manufactured. if the pots are newer something fishy is most likely going on. Pots are made in huge batches, so it's not like when you receive them there only a day old, they'll be dated weeks, if not months behind the date you ordered them. Once you receive the pots and start using them They are a month or so older than the guitar they're going into that day. Obviously there can be oddball exceptions, then you need to see if the solder joints are untouched etc. etc.
Let’s compare every Les Paul made in any other year than 1958-1960 to a 1958-60 LP...They are $250,000 guitars...all the rest are not. My 73 Dlx LP is as good as any LP ever made...
George is great-very knowledgeable,etc.-and I believe a fair and equitable dealer.In fact when a luthier/collector buddy of mine was going through a divorce his b!tch/wife sent a video of his 90-some guitar collection to Gruhn's for the pirpose of an appraisal,so she would know how much to clean my preind out for.To George's credit he sent a reply stating that he didn't evaluate collections for THAT purpose.
Wish I could hook a vari-speed up to his narrative on this video however...talks slow..
I was a Gibson Dealer in Chicago back in the 70's. In fact our Store was Strings & Things Music in Lincolnwood Ill. a half a block from the Norlin HQ and Shure Brothers offices about a block away. I was selling these when the factory opened up in Nashville. At the time I owned a 1957 Goldtop dark mahogany back and have handled numerous REAL 54-61 Les Pauls and Gibson Mastertone Banjos.The "New Gibson Company" guitars are not even the same. The kids like them though.The 70's Gibsons are junk.
I had to sell that junk all through 70's when I went to Chicago to work in Guitar and Sound Gear Shops. I could see Norlin Headquarters out of the back door of Shop and look to the left theres Shure Brothers Headquarters. All of these Corporate Douchebags from both places were always secretly buying Peavey Gear from us so we always ordered odd numbers of PA Speakers. These Guys were so out of touch with the exploding Rock & Roll Music scene. 70's and 80's solid body Gibsons?? Well.........
This guy doesn't like 70's Deluxes as is evident from his presentation. Next time get someone who like to play tell us what they think. Many of these a real under-priced gems. Lest people simple deride the Norlin era guitars - much of the classic rock we use a reference today was played on Norlins. Playing a vintage LP didn't become really fashionable until recently and buying a used LP was what you did in the 70's when you couldn't afford a new one.
You can't polish a turd. These Guitars were junk then and nothing has changed except the idiots that think they are cool because they are old now. This whole video can be avoided. A new Chinese Epiphone LP is a way better looking and sounding. Crappy green wood laminated together make up this heavy guitar. Aged dried old wood makes sustain. This crappy guitar does not even have a carved top. When I sold these back in the early 70's I couldn't believe Gibson's could get any worse but they did.
Doesn't ...have a carved top.... hello Monsieur Idiot
Thumbs down. Nobody watches a guitar video to hear you talk about it.
@@markvincent522 I’m sorry I made you cry. Please try and heal from this :’(
@@markvincent522 only the poor and stupid use speech templates to talk shit online. What’s your education level and income?
The guitar no doubt weighs a ton and has the
Pancake body , poorly constructed, typical Norlin Era, I’ve seen a few with misaligned bridges